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Featured Author: Michael D. Burnside

Featured Author: Michael D. Burnside

Michael D. Burnside

Michael is the creator of the role playing games Space Conspiracy and World War Two Role Play. His fiction writing includes steampunk, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. His stories have been featured in several anthologies including Fossil Lake: An Anthology of the Aberrant, Fossil Lake II: The Refossiling, and Life after Ashes. His short stories have also been featured in magazines such as Devolution Z, Outposts of Beyond, and Gathering Storm Magazine. Michael lives in Dayton, Ohio with lots and lots of cats. Read more nice things about him, as well as some free stories, at www.michaelburnside.com.

LHP: How long have you been writing?

Michael D. Burnside: I wrote my first short story in high school. Back to top >>>

LHP: What/who inspired you to be a writer?

Michael D. Burnside: I’ve always loved the fantasy world crafted by Tolkien and the science fiction created by Heinlein. I wanted to do what they do, create new worlds. Back to top >>>

LHP: What genre do you prefer to write in?

Michael D. Burnside: I don’t really have a favorite. I go back and forth between genres a lot. Back to top >>>

LHP: Describe your writing process. What comes first–character or plot? Do you “pants” it or outline?

Michael D. Burnside: I usually come up with a setting first. What if there was a place where such and such happened? Then I come up with characters that have to deal with the conflict in that setting.

I wrote my first novel without any outline, and its word count got a bit out of hand, so now I always outline a story first. I never end up following the outline exactly though. It’s just a rough map to help me get the story to its ending. Back to top >>>

LHP: Are there any software tools, resources, or websites you use often while writing?

Michael D. Burnside: Not for writing, but for finding markets and tracking submissions I rely on The Grinder. http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com Back to top >>>

LHP: Question: What are some of your biggest challenges you feel like you have to overcome in your writing career?

Michael D. Burnside: There are so many good writers out there that it is really hard to stand out and get noticed. Back to top >>>

LHP: Do you have a set number of words per day you target? or do you set other goals to meet?

Michael D. Burnside: I don’t worry about achieving word counts, but every day I try to do something to further my writing goals. It might be writing. It might be editing. It might be submitting. Back to top >>>

LHP: Question: Do you prefer short stories or full length novels in your writing?

Michael D. Burnside: I’m quite fond of both. I believe that short stories are the best way to hone your writing style. You can experiment with different voices, different points of view, and different types of characters without being bound to them long term. Novels are where you get to tell the richest stories, but you have to be willing to commit to them for the long haul. Back to top >>>

LHP: Can you give some us some insight into your story?

Michael D. Burnside: I wrote “The Burnings” with the idea that fanaticism is not the same as faith. Just because one group is willing to use violence to impose their beliefs on others doesn’t mean they hold their beliefs more strongly than those who seek to coexist. Indeed, fanatics have very little faith in what they espouse. That’s why they are unable to tolerate any idea that might question what they claim to believe. Back to top >>>

LHP: What advice can you give other writers?

Michael D. Burnside: Persistence may be more important than talent. Even the best writers get told no. The writers that get published are the ones that keep asking until they get a yes. Back to top >>>